First Solo Case
by Marymel
Summary: Lindsey works her first solo case, and the victim is someone familiar. WARNING: MINOR CHARACTER DEATH!


**I don't own CSI.**

 **More Jackson and Greta stories are on the way, but I had to write this. It came to me as I was watching the finale. As I watched the interaction between Lady Heather and Grissom at the end, I thought about a past episode with Lady Heather. Then I thought about writing a story for Lindsey, since she's a new CSI. So here's what I came up with. Please read and review!**

 **Oh, and in my story Where We Should Be, I wrote that Nick returned to Vegas to run the Grave shift, Wendy returned to the team as a CSI, and Sean Yeager joined the team. I decided to keep that here.**

Lindsey Willows and the team waited in Nick's office for their assignments. As they waited, Lindsey looked at her fellow CSIs and smiled softly. Even with all the team had come through, things were good. She was fitting in well with everyone, Nick and Greg were in charge of the team and her mom Catherine was the lab director.

Nick came in with the assignments. "Okay," he said. "Greg and Wendy are working the 419 in Summerlin, Morgan and Sean are processing the stolen car at the Tangier's. And Lindsey..." Nick handed her the call sheet with her assignment. "Murder/suicide in Henderson."

Lindsey's eyes widened slightly. "Who's with me?"

"No one," Nick told the surprised scientist. "Officer Akers will be with you, but you're working this one solo."

Gratefully, Lindsey smiled. "Thanks, Nick!" The elder CSI smiled at her enthusiasm.

When Lindsey arrived, she found a man and woman dead from gunshot wounds. Super Dave said hello as he examined the woman. He brushed her long, brown hair out of her face and stopped. Lindsey's eyes widened as she looked at the woman she'd only seen once before. Blowing out a deep breath, she began photographing the bodies.

"Bullet entered the left chest," Dave explained. "Liver temp is 98.1. She hasn't been dead long."

Clearing her throat, Lindsey said, "Male has GSR on his palm. Gunshot wound to his temple."

"Both bodies are still warm," Dave said. "This just happened."

"Who called it in?" Lindsey asked Officer Akers, who was standing at the door.

"He did," Akers said, gesturing to the man dead on the floor.

As Dave jotted down notes, he said, "I've got to call Doc Robbins."

Lindsey nodded in understanding. "Could you call my mom? And...we should notify Grissom."

Less than an hour later, Lab Director Catherine Willows pulled up in front of the familiar house. As she walked up to the porch, she thought about the times she'd been there before. After all that happened in the last few months, she never imagined she'd be back under the circumstances that brought her there.

She showed her ID to Akers even though she didn't need to. Akers nodded and gestured inside. When Catherine saw the two people dead, her heart dropped.

Lindsey glanced at her mom. "Did you know them?"

Catherine sighed and shook her head. "Just her. Grissom met him years ago," she said with a nod to the male.

Taking a deep breath, Lindsey nodded. "We found a suicide note. I'll have QD examine it, but he called it in."

"What did he say?"

Hesitantly, Lindsey said, "He told 911 that everything was her fault. He said she manipulated people and..."

Catherine nodded. "He lost everything and blamed her."

"Yeah," Lindsey agreed. "I've gone over the scene twice and cannot find anything suggesting anything other than murder/suicide. I'm sorry."

Catherine looked at her daughter and nodded. "Don't be. To tell the truth, I wondered if something like this might happen."

Lindsey and Dave looked from the bodies to Catherine. "Did you call...?" Dave hesitantly asked.

"They're on the way," Catherine finished.

Nick, Greg and Morgan waited as Doc and Lindsey completed the autopsies. "She died first," Doc Robbins said, trying to stay focused.

"She has no defensive wounds," Lindsey observed.

"No," Doc solemnly replied. He, too, remembered her as very strong. He never expected to have her on his table.

Lindsey sighed quietly. Looking at the man on the other table, she asked, "He had GSR on his hand."

Doc nodded. "Yeah."

As the autopsies concluded downstairs, a familiar couple made their way to the morgue. Jim Brass joined the CSIs as the two approached.

Nick greeted the woman with a hug. "Thanks for coming, Sara."

Sara hugged Nick and Greg as her husband looked on. "We came as soon as we got your call."

Gil Grissom felt a wide range of emotions as he watched his wife hug her team - their family. He felt sad for the reason they were there, but relieved that someone he'd known was finally at peace.

Greg cleared his throat softly. "Lindsey's handling the case. She and Doc are in autopsy." Looking at his mentor and former boss, Greg said, "I'm so sorry."

"Me too," Nick said.

Gil barely nodded at the two. He thought about the last time he saw the woman now on the slab. He thanked her for opening his heart so he could love Sara. Everyone wondered if there was a relationship between the scientist and the woman, but Sara and Gil knew nothing except friendship was between them. The other woman wanted more at first, but knew his heart belonged to Sara. And Grissom loved Sara with all his heart. No matter how demanding the other woman was, he could never have a life with her like he did with Sara.

Catherine stepped out of her office and hugged Grissom. "I'm so sorry."

"Thank you," he said.

Sara offered a sad smile. "Is Lindsey still in autopsy?"

Catherine started to answer when her daughter approached. She briefly hesitated when she saw Grissom. To her surprise, the former CSI smiled softly. "Thanks for letting me know."

Lindsey nodded. "Mom called you. But we thought you should know."

"Doc say it was..." Nick began.

"Yes," Lindsey said. "And I know this probably won't help, but Doc said she didn't suffer."

Gil breathed deeply. He knew she'd lost everyone she loved, so he felt at peace.

After a few moments, Sara asked, "Do we know what happened?"

Lindsey nodded. "She called him and he came to her house."

"He called police," Greg added.

"He told them he had nothing left," Lindsey continued. "He'd lost his granddaughter a few months ago."

"His daughter died ten years ago," Gil said half-dazed. "He didn't know about her until she died."

Sara nodded. "He got sole custody of his granddaughter."

"According to the call," Lindsey said, "He said she manipulated everyone. Their daughter was ashamed of her and he never should've let her near her granddaughter. She tried to talk to him and calm him down. He said she destroyed everyone she ever claimed to love."

"She didn't put up a fight," Gil said.

"No," Lindsey said. "There were no defensive wounds."

Sara took her husband's hand. "She lost everything she cared about."

Gil squeezed Sara's hand. "She did love...but she couldn't let go of her control."

Catherine nodded, remembering what the woman told her years ago. The woman told Catherine that the one thing a woman can never let go of is her power. Now, that power she couldn't let go of led them here.

Sara tentatively put her arm around her husband, and Gil leaned into her touch. He realized long ago that he couldn't love the woman wholeheartedly, the way he loved Sara. When he saw Sara standing on the dock with so much love still to give him, he knew he was blessed to have a second chance. Whatever anger and fear might have been between them dissolved as they embraced. Both affirmed their love and agreed to give their love another chance. Both knew the dead woman may have loved him, but she was nothing to him except a friend who helped him find his way back to Sara.

Lindsey took a deep breath. "Would you...like to say goodbye?"

Gil hesitantly looked at Sara. He _did_ want to say goodbye, but knew Sara had a strained relationship with the woman. To his surprise and relief, Sara softly smiled and said, "You need to do this. It's okay." Gil nodded and caressed her cheek. "Thank you." He followed Lindsey to the morgue.

Doc Robbins offered his condolences when Gil came in. Gil barely nodded and stared at the drawer containing the bodies of the man and woman. As much as he couldn't love her the way he loved Sara, she was still a part of his life.

Lindsey and Doc shared a grim look as Gil stared at the door. "Gil," Doc said softly. "You don't have to do this."

Gil closed his eyes. "Yes, I do. I know...she couldn't let go of her power. And, in the end, she had no one."

"She didn't suffer," Lindsey said softly.

Not physically, Gil thought to himself. He glanced at the young CSI. "I know... I know it may not seem like it, but you've done a good job."

Lindsey pursed her lips. "Doesn't feel like it."

Gil smiled softly. "You gathered the evidence and gave her a voice." He couldn't bring himself to call the woman a victim.

"He's right," Doc Robbins added. Lindsey smiled softly, then looked at Gil. "Are you ready?"

Gil took a deep breath and nodded. Doc Robbins silently opened the drawer and pulled the woman's body out. He and Lindsey sighed as he pulled back the sheet.

Gil's knees weakened and he sighed sadly. He remembered the woman as a vibrant, beautiful, strong force. Now she was gone. He thought of every time he saw her, from their first meeting to their parting. He felt a friendship and respect for the woman. But the love he felt was small compared to his love for Sara. She did help him open his heart to love, and he was forever grateful for that. He knew Sara was the love of his life.

"Would you like to be alone?" Doc asked.

Gil slightly nodded. Doc and Lindsey solemnly left.

Sighing deeply, Gil took the woman's cold hand. "You couldn't stop being who you are," he said softly. "I needed Sara, and...I have her again. I could never love anyone else like I love her." He chuckled sadly to himself. "I guess you knew that."

He squeezed her lifeless hand. "I'm sorry you felt you couldn't stop...being you." He blinked back tears that threatened to fall. "Now I have Sara and... I'm happy. I love her more than I thought I could ever love anyone. And I think...in some ways, she forgives you. She forgave me for letting her go. I don't know if I'll ever forgive myself for that." He smiled sadly at the woman. "I wish you could've found that love. I know you always felt you couldn't, but when I broke down my walls... I knew I was truly free."

Gil sighed and set her hand down. "I guess now I can stop wondering if you're okay." He smiled sadly. "You'll always have my respect. I found my way back to Sara with your help. At least now...you're at peace."

As a tear fell, Gil breathed deeply. "Thank you. Goodbye."

When he walked out, Gil found Sara standing outside. He smiled sadly as he embraced the woman he truly loved. Both allowed tears to fall - he remembered the woman who helped him reopen his heart but never her own, and Sara for the woman she almost lost the love of her life to.

When they pulled away, Sara rested her forehead on Gil's. Both knew they had a second chance together, and were forever grateful.

"Let's go," Gil said softly. Sara nodded. Both turned to look at the door. Sara squeezed Gil's hand gently. Gil smiled softly at his wife. "I love you."

"I love you," she replied.

He glanced at the door where the other woman was, and sighed deeply.

"Goodbye, Heather." He and his wife then walked away.

 **The End**


End file.
